The present invention generally relates to a system and method for providing access to resources. In a more specific embodiment, the present invention relates to a system and method for providing access to network-accessible resources in a storage unit using a fabric switch.
Modern network services commonly provide a large centralized pool of data in one or more data storage units for shared use by various network entities, such as users and application servers accessing the services via a wide area network (WAN). These services may also provide a dedicated server for use in coordinating and facilitating access to the data stored in the storage units. Such dedicated servers are commonly referred to as “file servers,” or “data servers.”
Various disturbances may disable the above-described file servers and/or data storage units. For instance, weather-related and equipment-related failures may result in service discontinuance for a length of time. In such circumstances, users may be prevented from accessing information from the network service. Further, users that were logged onto the service at the time of the disturbance may be summarily “dropped,” sometimes in midst of making a transaction. Needless to say, consumers find interruptions in data accessibility frustrating. From the perspective of the service providers, such disruptions may lead to the loss of clients, who may prefer to patronize more reliable and available sites.
For these reasons, network service providers have shown considerable interest in improving the reliability of network services. One known technique involves simply storing a duplicate of a host site's database in an off-line archive (such as a magnetic tape archive) on a periodic basis. In the event of some type of major disruption of service (such as a weather-related disaster), the service administrators may recreate any lost data content by retrieving and transferring information from the off-line archive. This technique is referred to as “cold backup” because the standby resources are not immediately available for deployment. Another known technique entails mirroring the content of the host site's active database in a back-up network site. In the event of a disruption, the backup site assumes the identity of the failed host site and provides on-line resources in the same manner as would the host site. Upon recovery of the host site, this technique may involve redirecting traffic back to the recovered host site. This technique is referred to as “warm backup” because the standby resources are available for deployment with minimal setup time.
The above-noted solutions are not fully satisfactory. The first technique (involving physically installing backup archives) may require an appreciable amount of time to perform (e.g., potentially several hours). Thus, this technique does not effectively minimize a user's frustration upon being denied access to a network service, or upon being “dropped” from a site in the course of a communication session. The second technique (involving actively maintaining a redundant database at a backup web site) provides more immediate relief upon the disruption of services, but may suffer other drawbacks. For instance, modern host sites may employ a sophisticated array of interacting devices, each potentially including its own failure detection and recovery mechanisms. This infrastructure may complicate the coordinated handling of failure conditions. Further, a failure may affect a site in a myriad of ways, sometimes disabling portions of a file server, sometimes disabling portions of the data storage unit, and other times affecting the entire site. The transfer of services to a backup site represents a broad-brush approach to failure situations, and hence may not utilize host site resources in an intelligent and optimally productive manner.
Known efforts to improve network reliability and availability may suffer from additional unspecified drawbacks.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art to provide a more effective system and method for ensuring the reliability and integrity of network resources.